BETHANY, W.Va. – The Thiel Tomcats defeated the Bethany Bison Saturday evening 27-26 to snap the program's 41-game losing streak.
Freshman running back
Jorden Collier's (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln) first collegiate touchdown, with 6:18 remaining in regulation, couldn't have come at a better time. Running over the left side, Collier's touchdown, from 11 yards out, tied the game at 26-all.
Dreyvin Livingston (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) added the critical extra point to give Thiel the lead, and the Tomcat defense did the rest, refusing to give up a first down to the Bison on their final two drives of the contest to seal the win.
Thiel had gone more than five years without a win, dating back to September 16, 2017 when the Tomcats edged the Bison 28-13.
Sophomore wide receiver
Andre Rodgers (Euclid, Ohio/Benedictine) scored Thiel's first touchdown near the midpoint of the first quarter on a 52-yard bomb from
Owen Trumbull (Bear Lake, Pa./Eisenhower). Bethany cut the lead down to a point late in second quarter on a 22-yard pass from Marquice Robinson to Tim Mickens.
Rodgers gave the Tomcats an eight-point lead at halftime when he took the ensuing kickoff to the house on a 75-yard return.
Thiel increased its lead to 20-6 early in the third quarter when sophomore running back
Deon Logan (Richmond, Va./James River) broke free on a career-long 73-yard touchdown run.
Bethany countered with two touchdowns later in the third quarter, the first of which was scored on a one-yard run by Tre'Jour Owens. Robinson connected with Devaughn McWhorter from 64 yards out for the game-tying touchdown with 44 seconds left to play in the third quarter.
Owens scored his second rushing touchdown of the game near the midpoint of the fourth quarter, this one from 27 yards out, to give the Bison a brief 26-20 lead.
Collier's game-winning touchdown run capped off a five-play, 36-yard drive.
Trumbull completed eight passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. Logan led the Tomcats on the ground with 88 yards and one touchdown run on five carries.
Rodgers caught three passes for 81 yards. He scored a touchdown on a 53-yard pass from Trumbull in the first quarter.
Donny Pattison (Bradford, Pa./Bradford Area) also caught two passes for 19 yards.
Bill McCready III (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding) and
Chad Morningstar (Saxton, Pa./Tussey Mountain) led Thiel on defense with eight tackles apiece.
Andrew Plowden (Homewood, Pa./Penn Hills Charter) made five tackles and recorded one sack.
Raymond Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) picked off a pass, his second of the season, while
Darnell Jordan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Westinghouse) made six tackles and forced a fumble.
The Tomcats are idle next Saturday. They will take on the Westminster Titans on the road on Saturday, October 15. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
